2018.5: our favorite albums + songs of the year so far

We're not quite halfway through 2018, but here's our annual recap of the albums + songs of the first half of the year anyway. I’ve excluded any records that we’ve released on our new label Luminelle Recordings; otherwise, the stellar new ones from Helena Deland, Anemone, and Hana Vu would have all figured prominently into both of these lists. Also, I guess a few of these aren’t officially out yet. Sorry!

ALBUMS:

01 AMEN DUNES | Freedom

02 TIRZAH | Devotion

03 GROUPER | Grid of Points

04 BELLA BOO | Fire

05 BEACH HOUSE | 7

06 PLAYBOI CARTI | Die Lit

07 DJ HEALER | Nothing 2 Loose / Planet Lonely

08 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER | Age Of

09 TESS ROBY | Beacon

10 MUNYA | North Hatley

Next 20 (alphabetical):

A.A.L. | 2012-2017
CAROLINE SAYS | No Fool Like an Old Fool
DJ KOZE | Knock Knock
JOHNNY JEWEL | Digital Rain / Themes for Television
LAURA JEAN | Devotion
LENA RAINE | Celeste OST
LEON BRIDGES | Good Thing
LOMA | Loma
NADINE | oh my
NEGATIVE GEMINI | Bad Baby
OKLOU | The Rite of May
PANDA BEAR | A Day With the Homies
PENDANT | Make Me Know You Sweet
PRIMO | Amici
PYNKIE | Neoteny
SMERZ | Have Fun
SUN JUNE | Years
TONY PRICE | celica absolu
U.S. GIRLS | In a Poem Unlimited
WISHED BONE | cellar belly

SONGS:

01 ARIANA GRANDE :: No Tears Left To Cry
02 AMEN DUNES :: Believe
03 TIRZAH :: Gladly
04 MGMT :: Me and Michael
05 JAY ROCK :: King’s Dead
06 CHROMATICS :: Black Walls
07 MOODYMAN :: Got Me Coming Back Right Now
08 BELLA BOO :: Fire Fire
09 OTHA :: One of the Girls
10 WESTERMAN :: Confirmation
11 ANDRE 3000 :: Me&My (To Bury Your Parents)
12 MORABEZA TOBACCO :: TTYL
13 PLAYBOI CARTI :: Shoota
14 PYNKIE :: Dew
15 KATE TEAGUE :: Low Life
16 BARRIE :: Canyons
17 SUN JUNE :: Young
18 MORMOR :: Heaven’s Only Wishful
19 JAMES BLAKE :: Don’t Miss It
20 AVALON :: Deadbeat Boy
21 OKLOU :: Friendless
22 AMBER MARK :: Love Me Right
23 RAE MORRIS :: Dancing with Character
24 EASYFUN :: Be Your USA
25 PEGGY GOU :: It Makes You Forget (itgehane)
26 MEN I TRUST :: Show Me How
27 TRUE BLUE :: Tell Me Texas
28 DENA :: Things That Mean a Lot (feat. Eyedress)
29 THE GREEN CHILD :: Her Majesty II
30 NILÜFER YANYA :: Thanks 4 Nothing